Girl, 6, shines at D.C. benefit

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: April 3, 2008

QUANTICO — Thousands of people came to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. this past Saturday for the 2008 Epilepsy Foundation Walk, to benefit those living with epilepsy. Six-year-old Becca Riley, who suffers from epilepsy herself, made sure she was one of those people.

The Quantico girl has been struggling with the disease for most of her life, according to her mother Kathleen, who said her daughter had trouble attending birthday parties and going to other social events because of frequent seizures, which people with epilepsy commonly experience.

“You never know when the seizures are going to come. It’s like a bad kick in the gut that knocks you down each time she starts seizures,” said Kathleen Riley.

Becca’s episodes would last up to 45 minutes in length, according to her mother. After the violent attacks, Becca, with her family by her side, would spend the next two days in the hospital to recover. This all changed in February when Becca underwent an operation to have a portion of her brain removed, which doctors identified as being the source of her seizures. Becca has been seizure-free since February 25.

“She handled the whole thing pretty well,” said Kathleen. “She kept saying ‘the doctor is going to take my seizures out’ just before the operation. The next day she woke up and asked ‘are my seizures out?’ and I told her that day was the day the seizure monster was thrown into the garbage.”

Fully recovered and out of the hospital, Becca and her family thought it would be fun to walk in this year’s two-mile Epilepsy Walk, to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation, and give back to a group Kathleen said has given her family so much.

Becca founded her own team, which she called appropriately enough - Becca’s Brain Team. Because of her love of Disney’s High School Musical, she pronounced her team’s slogan “Get your head in the game” after a song in the production, according to her mother.

Becca, Kathleen Riley, Becca’s father Joe Riley, and Becca’s younger brother A.J. were off to the walk after raising nearly $1,500 for the cause.

“Looking around there were thousands of people, all with different faces and sizes. Some were wearing purple shirts to show they suffered from the disease, and some were wearing white to show their support of those with the disease… It was an amazing thing to see such support there, and so many purple shirts,” said Kathleen Riley.

Caring for Becca’s condition can be difficult at times, she added. They are lucky, she noted, as her husband has spent 18 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the government has paid “every dime” of Becca’s medical expenses to date.

Kathleen Riley, a certified teacher, said she is also fortunate she was able to leave the classroom to take care of Becca.

“We will be here for at least another year or two, so we definitely will participate [in the walk] again,” she said.